A Thousand and One Nights
by alphe
Summary: A vampire in solitude in the Arabian desert each night sates on the blood of the virgin daughters of his city, until one night when the young woman brought to him captivates and sings to him above all others. Can she stay alive & rediscover his humanity?
1. Prologue

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_Prologue ~ ديباجة_

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The barren and inhospitable sand dunes stretched in every direction, hitting the horizon in a distant and ever-receding halo around me.

The cloth and material wrapped around my body and face served but for appearances; even when the winds picked up and threw the coarse silica into men's faces in Autumn storms my skin deflected the attack, shattering them into a finer grain.

The sun slid off-west of its zenith. Its heat compressing the sweat out of the pores of my men. They stood a good distance back from me, reining in the horses as they bucked and tussled in the heat. Their thoughts gave away their hesitations in coming closer than was necessary. The bronzed containers of water clanged harshly against the jars of spices the troupe carried to ward off evil spirits.

I smiled at their useless tokens; regardless of what their thoughts revealed and the distance they kept, they could not even begin to comprehend the danger they were in by being in my presence.

However, it wasn't _their_ blood I sought.

They spoke with each other in their native tongue, and although I spoke it fluently, it still retained its somewhat musical notes to my ears.  
I turned to face them, their thoughts buzzing with curiosity and a desire to be back in the city walls before sunset. Speaking in their language, I gave the order for our return. I hoped my presence out in the sands had given enough warning to the visitors in our city last night. Order and stability must be preserved within its gates.

Twilight was descending as the towering walls came into view across the dunes.

The heat in the air shifted into the humidity; the oasis inside the walls providing a sink for the desert temperatures. The coolness of my skin reveled in the warmth it was exposed to out here, reminding me of when the blood ran through my body.

The thoughts of my men shifted to food and their families as we approached the gates; the scent of a thousand spices, meats and vegetables being cooked into what, to them, was delicious cuisine. For me, however, mine was to come later.

I focussed in on the thoughts of the man guiding my horse across from me. He was picturing his wife welcoming him upon his return, the scent of her cooking within their clay house, his sons and remaining daughters; one whom appeared to be around twenty years old, beautiful, but yet to be married because of her father's lack of wealth.

"Bring your daughter to my palace tonight," I ordered in his dialect.

His face immediately contorted into one of horror; his thoughts racing through conversations he'd overheard in the marketplace. Conversations where men gathered and mourned the loss of their virgin daughters into what they thought was my harem. He stuttered his acknowledgement of my order.

I was grateful that he mistakenly thought his daughter was entering the harem I did not have nor believe in keeping. Like the others, I would pay an amount to the family in a reversed dowry.

Unbeknownst to him, his beautiful daughter would be drained of her blood in the sating of my thirst by morning.

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**Author's Note:**

Welcome to the beginnings of _A Thousand and One Nights_. Here's a little, well, _taster _of the story that came to me earlier today. This will be an Edward and Bella fanfic if enough reviews come in encouraging me to run with this story. Bella's POV will probably feature, as well as POV's of the other characters as they appear out of the mirage.

So, to get the ball rolling, what should I call this dark, reflective, protective, purist Edward? Virgindrinkingward doesn't really have the right ring to it?


	2. One, Sate

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_One. Sate_ ~ واحد. ل

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The bells of twittering birds indicated the slow creep of the sun from the East in the endless cycle I was compelled to endure.

Soft voices began to murmur and whisper from as far as the main gates; my hearing able to detect and differentiate every one of them with ease.

The hum of nighttime dreams began to chop and scratch as people awoke with the rising of the sun.

I sat in my day chambers absorbing every atom of these movements, feeling the incremental upwards tiptoe of the delicate heat.

Sandalwood and incense drifted across from the altars of those dedicated enough to engage in early rituals of prayer. Like the desert men with their superstitious potions, I scoffed at the naivety of the humans. Clinging, grasping, hoping that something better than this dry, sandy city of exotic smells and sounds was awaiting them. I snorted my disdain as I turned my eyes briefly across the hall to my night chambers, images flickering in my mind of the innocent girl's slackening body beneath my grasp as I had drained her the night before.

She was pretty. Not as beautiful as the images in her father's eyes. I had pondered briefly on the impact of subjectivity on others' thoughts at this point, but filed it away for future reference as her quick beating heartbeat had distracted me.

The soft shadows and highlights dancing from the candles outlined the features of her face and body as she stepped onto the large cushions that adorned the sunken floor.

Where men may have stared longingly at the curves of her bare hips, framed by her silken pants and shortened camisole, my focus was higher. The swirling of the blood moving the frantic pulse on the side of her neck drew me closer.

Her thoughts confirmed her innocence, as they ran through the words her mother had frantically whispered to her on their dash to my sprawling residence, "_Keep your eyes lowered. Wait for him to make any movements and do as he asks. It will hurt, I won't deny you that, but you're going to a better place now than what your father and I could provide"_.

Knowing the men stocking the bachelor pool in this city, I felt no guilt taking her from a future essentially bound to feeding, cleaning and reproducing.

Her thoughts turned to chanting her mother's advice, "_Eyes lowered, wait for him. Eyes lowered, wait for him."_

Today's tracking had left me thirsty and I didn't feel like prolonging this tonight. I felt my eyes darken, and a growl begin to purr in my chest as I stalked closer to the flowing, warm ichor.

Her eyes flickered up at mine, before suddenly dropping as her heartbeat sped up and she gasped, "_Eyes down! Eyes down! Wait for him!"  
_The rapid scent of her arousal hit my senses.  
On many occasions, the young women brought to me were clearly expecting something other than having their life force drained out of them, and this reaction wasn't rare when they saw my darkened eyes as I moved towards them.

Sometimes, though, they would recognise the black pools in my eyes for the reality they exposed.

Either way, it meant I had to end it quickly; if they were aroused, I had to stop the risk that their thoughts tainted their innocence in front on my mind. If they recognized the danger they were in, I had to stop their sudden screams and attempts to escape.

Her frantic thoughts recounted her mother's words, "_Wait for him... do as he asks… it will hurt… better place…"  
I smiled as her mother's advice, although given in expectation of other circumstances, rang true. _

_It will hurt. _

_And you are going to a better place._

In one swift movement, I grasped and tilted her body, exposing her neck to me and piercing her soft skin with my teeth. The simultaneous conflict of relief and craving hit me as the hot rush of exquisite, virgin liquid flowed down my throat. Rather than panic, her thoughts reflected a naïve trusting uncertainty. She had convinced herself that her body's natural flight response as simple nervousness.

Her thoughts began to flicker as she slipped into unconsciousness. It wasn't long before the pressure eased, as I sucked the rest of her blood from her now lifeless body.

Releasing my teeth, I dropped back onto my heels.

The warmth now inside me intoxicated my mind, an overpowering drug relaxing my stone body. I turned my head and looked up at the material draped from the roof, cascading down in soft ripples, holding her now lightened body against my folded knees.  
Sated, I turned my eyes out to the gardens surrounding my chambers.

Date palms; black silhouettes on the navy sky, shifted slightly with the soft breeze that stole its way through the curtains.

In these quiet moments, when the city was asleep, when another pure life was taken to sate my thirst, was one of the only times I felt solace. I felt at peace.

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**AN: **

What's this? An early update?! I know; it's quite short, but I just had to give you all something after reaching over 100 visitors within the first day of this story being posted! So please, review; if 2 reviews = 1000 words, just imagine what more could do ;P


	3. Two, Mirage

Alice POV

_

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_Two. Mirage ~ __سراب_

_

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_

.

.

.

White.

.

.

Blinding, overwhelming, searing white.

.

.

Burning flashes.

.

Muffled taps crescendo into loud bangs.

My ears scream from the force of the sound; beating at the same rhythm as the flashing in my mind.

.

.

Deep brown

FLASH BANG scream.

.

Focussing into eyes.

Deep brown eyes.

FLASH BANG scream.

.

.

Blackness.

.

Muffled taps crescendo into loud bangs.

My ears pierce with burning pain.

.

Soft, lips.

FLASH BANG screech.

.

Her lips are so soft.

Such soft lips.

FLASH BANG scream.

.

I can feel him.

The light becomes a soft haze.

.

I can sense his hands.

.

His body.

Instinctively, my arms reach out.

FLASH BANG scream.

.

Red. Redness everywhere.

.

Hot.

.

Warm.

.

Red blood.

My hands, covered in hot, warm, red blood.

FLASH BANG scream.

.

.

Blackness.


	4. Three, Heat

**Author's Note:** Some of you weren't pleased with the previous chapter; a little too much of a teaser? Hmm... I'll make sure I'm not that mean in the future and have an update ready quicker for small chapters. We're back to Edward's point of view here after our quick sojourn with the lovely Alice.

Thank-you so much for whoever nominated _A Thousand and One Nights _for the **Indie Twific Awards **in the 'Best Alternate Universe' and 'Most Original Storyline' categories! Voting is from 8 July until 12 July; so please, go vote if you want to see more people enjoying _A Thousand and One Nights_! Voting is at: theindietwificawards[dot]com/vote[dot]aspx

Also, a massive thank-you for all of your wonderful reviews! They make the absolute world of difference to me and they have all been so lovely, both here and at the other Twilight fan fiction site of which we do not speak.

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns it all. I just have fun with Arabesqueward (thanks TheGodsCanDance! :P )

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_Three. Heat ~ __حرارة_

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_[In these quiet moments, when the city was asleep, when another pure life was taken to sate my thirst, was one of the only times I felt solace. I felt at peace.]_

A loud rapping at my chamber door broke me from my thoughts. I cocked my head slightly to the side; an unnecessary and habitual gesture indicating my focus.

_I need to speak with you._

"Come in, Jasper," I spoke softly.

The large bronze decorated door opened slowly in my peripheral vision as I put away the papers strewn across my desk.

Sand dusted to the floor, a cacophony of delicate percussion, as he unravelled the heavy cloth wrapped around and above his head. The colour of his hair matched the stretch of desert outside of the city walls; accentuating the reason he kept it covered.

His eyes were black as they met mine.

"You need to hunt." I said bluntly.

"I know," he acknowledged my observation undefensively, sensing my concern, "I intend to go this evening. I thought it important that I speak with you first."

I smiled at his choice of words; Jasper rarely vocalised his thoughts when we were together.

_They've headed East out of the city. My guess is to the trading routes. _Jasper began retracing his steps and thoughts as he had tracked the two vampires' scents from the markets. His eyes followed the dank and dark alleys behind the stalls, looking up the clay buildings, flitting across rooftops towards the city walls. Down onto the sand, their scent was more difficult to discern, but a very faint trail left on the top layer of sand on the dunes led him. His memories sped up; the stretch of landscape unchanging as it took him further from the city. His memories faded into black and reflect his realisation that the vampires were likely seeking out traders and merchants for their next hunt.

"Hopefully they were just passing through," I mused, returning to my desk. I found the sketches of the city that Jasper had made upon his arrival here and stretched the large paper across the heavy table in my chamber. The beige parchment crinkled under my fingers as I traced the ink of the outlines of the mud and sand brick buildings.

_I didn't find their scent in any of the tunnels_.

Prompted by his comment, I brought the bottom piece of paper out, rolling and revealing the network of tunnels that ran beneath the city connecting the grounds of our residence with the other major buildings.

The humans often included the story of these passageways in their legends; an ancient city buried beneath the sands. We had managed to keep them well hidden, using them when we needed to move quickly around the city unnoticed.

It was important that we remained as concealed as possible.

The presence of these vampires risked that concealment. Order and stability must be preserved within the city gates.

_If they return, it would be wise for us to speak with them. Inform them of our claim here._

I nodded my agreement.

"We also don't want them disrupting the trade routes." I added.

The spices and silks from the East supplied our markets with a depth and richness that cultivated the culture within the city walls. The timbers, paper and oils from the Mediterranean was essential to the city's development. This small city served as a trading point for both ends of the desert; the last stop before gruelling returns or onwards journeys. This trade offered here was hospitality. And with that came the darkness of that world. The transience of trading caravans brought with it a transience of morality.

Night, in alleys off the markets, brought the thieves and prostitutes out into the street, and often back into the drinking and opium dens.

It was there that Jasper would go to hunt.

It was there that I refused to go to hunt.

Jasper began unrolling maps of the greater desert region; his thoughts revealing the long term strategies he had been developing to protect the city.

The light hot breezes whispering the beginning of the afternoon knelled the bronze chimes together in the courtyard.

The delicate voices of a group of women outside our residence filtered in with the sand. Their excited shrieks at the sudden hot, wind descended into laughter.

I moved closer to the sounds out beyond my courtyard; the large doors open to the gardens. Jasper followed slowly behind me, stopping to look out with me in vain at the tall walls enclosing our home and obscuring the women walking behind them.

Their thoughts began to settle from their excitement; the need to hold the cloth about their bodies and face abated with the winds.  
They were young.  
And innocent.

_Edward?_ Jasper's intonation indicated he had picked up on my response.

I turned my eyes towards him, my mind still trickling through their thoughts on purchasing the silks in the stalls behind the wall.

_You fed last night._ He looked at me without emotion.

"Yes."

_You are merely curious then._

I nodded my head, "Aren't you?"

He chuckled and moved back towards the maps.

One of the women's thoughts revealed her difficulty in deciding between the depth of colour of the brocades she held in her hands. I tuned out and into one of the others'.

She was looking at the two women with her; thinking about whether she would risk trying to find a young man she had met in the markets earlier in the week when she was purchasing spices with her mother. She was hesitant that he might lose interest in her; that he would prefer the final, third woman whose thoughts I was yet to listen to.

I turned my mind to the back of the figure of the woman at the focus of this jealousy.

I cocked my head slightly to the side; attempting to focus on her mind.

But there was nothing.

I stared at her back through the eyes of the others.

Again, there was nothing.

Blankness. I stepped forward, my brow furrowing.

_What is it?_

Jasper was immediately behind me.

"How many women are behind that wall?" I asked, wondering if perhaps I had entered the hullicinations of a jealous mind.

He took a step closer to me.

_I can sense uncertainty and indecisiveness in one, fear and envy in another, and contentment and slight boredom in the third._

"Third? So there are three..." I trailed off, my thoughts moving from frustration to curiosity. I focussed in on the envious one, hoping to find out more about the figure. The silent woman began to turn around. Like the others, she was young enough to still not be wearing a full veil.

The sheer, light cloth draped over her head loosely, her dark flowing hair visible underneath.

She began to turn towards her friends, her head slightly bowed. Her soft face was only partially visible, as she hid behind the contrast of the taffeta and the soft waves of the cinnamon coloured threads in her hair.

Her eyes opened quickly upwards into those of the envious girl, as though they were looking straight into mine, and then everything shifted. The dull roar of the gathering hot winds resurfacing crescendoed from the alleyways.

Her dark eyes, framed by long, full lashes closed tightly shut as the hot wind grew, channelling and billowing down the streets towards them. The thoughts across the market all suddenly turned to panic as dresses and veils and eyes were held tightly in place. Laughter and shrieks of excitement at the wind's repeat performance echoed against the clay buildings, as it swirled around the women. Hitting the wall of our residence, the hot gust blasted upwards over its top and across the gardens towards the the courtyard doors of my chamber. It brought with it the flavours and smells and spices of the markets, heating and releasing their aromas.

Her scent hit me like a battering ram.

The violent force of that single moment tore through my chest.

My unnecessary breath was knocked out of me.

The burn ripped up through my throat.

The scorching pain fought only with desire as they clawed their way up my neck.

In that instant, the composed cloak that shrouded my darkest evil was torn to shreds. Any curiosity surrounding the mystery of her thoughts was abandoned. All that existed now was me and her.

Vampire and prey.

I lunged.

A force, nowhere near comparable, but strong enough to throw me to the ground hit me from behind.

I growled as I tried to tear the restraint of me; the burn in my throat fuelling my strength.

Nothing would stop me from that scent.

Nothing would get in the way of me and that blood.

I tried to grab onto the restraints; to tear them off me, to get free so I could take what was mine.

The restraint that held me remained strong.

The venom trickled down my throat, searing across the back of my mouth.

The restraint gripped tighter.

The wind shifted.

The ache began to lessen.

The scent faded until it was only detectable by the slightness of the breeze that rolled across the top of the wall, dampening any trace of her.

My breathing calmed.

Jasper's arms loosened around me, his weight lifting off me slowly.

"Edward." he spoke.

_What just happened, Edward? It's broad daylight… Your reaction…._

"I…" I slowly lifted myself off the ground, caked in mud and dust and plant. "I'm not sure."

_Your thirst was so strong it disabled me for a moment._

_What was it you heard that was provoked that level of reaction?_

"Nothing, Jasper. I heard nothing."

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**Author's Note: **aha! I didn't think they'd be meeting so soon, but for some reason the young women decided to go shopping! And once they were out, there wasn't much I could do when the afternoon Summer winds were billowing about!

Please review and let me know what you think!

And please, if you have a chance, go vote in the 'Best Alternate Universe' and 'Most Original Storyline' categories in the **Indie Twific Awards**, open for voting over the next 4 days (till 12 July). These awards are a great way to check out other indie fan fiction in the Twilight universe! Voting is at: theindietwificawards[dot]com/vote[dot]aspx


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